First European commander of the International Space Station – media opportunity

Frank De Winne takes over as ISS Commander on Sunday

6 October 2009

ESA PR 24-2009. ESA astronaut Frank De Winne will become the first European commander of the International Space Station this weekend, after the current commander Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka has left the ISS.

Padalka’s Soyuz spacecraft is scheduled to undock this Sunday night from the orbital outpost. De Winne is the first non-American and non-Russian to take on this role. A symbolic change-of-command ceremony will be held in advance onboard the ISS this Friday.

On 13 October, the European Space Agency will be organising an inflight call opportunity for the media to talk to the newly-appointed European ISS Commander at the Columbus Control Centre in Oberpfaffenhofen, near Munich, Germany.